⑤TAKANO Shozan, Box, peony design, kiji maki-e

Two large peonies adorn the surface of this unfinished-wood paulownia box. One flower has a gold center and gold maki-e outlines on glossy black lacquer, while the other is outlined in lacquer, highlighting the beauty of the wood grain.
　Takano Shozan was a lacquer artist highly skilled in both traditional maki-e (decorative application of metal powder to lacquer) and kiji maki-e, in which maki-e is applied directly to wood. In this work, the contrast of deep black lacquer and natural wood is exquisitely balanced, while strategically placed gold heightens the splendor of the peonies.